Exercise versus genetics

This is the thing... how are 'genetics' determined? How does someone who is really REALLY determined to make a difference to their lifestyle to be 'restricted' by genetics. It seems to me all to easy to say "Ahhh well, that person is geneticaly programmed to be lean and muscular" How do you even know that until you try??

Genetics predispose us to things like height, build, where our fat distributes on our body, how our muscle mass develops - that's how they work. That's why we have different body types across the sexes. Where they can be limiting is mental, comparing yourself to someone else who is genetically not like you and comparing yourself to them, is where I think the crux of the argument comes from - because everybody is not built to the commonly markteted ideal body type. However, everyone is capable of exercise in some capacity and can therefore modify their body as such. Even though we are genetically distinct, we are also incredibly similar in things like muscle tissue and fat cells, all of which we all have the capacity to build and burn depending on how we fuel our bodies and how hard we work for it. I feel that this is most illustrative in the contestants of the Biggest Loser - they all come to the show with different body types, etc, but they are also all obese. The contestants then work for their weight-loss and fitness goals, and they all change. Not towards some ideal of what a body should look like, but towards the best image of their body based on their height, build, fat and muscle distribution, which at its roots comes from how our genes express themselves as our bodies.

genes are not our fate! they certainly predispose us to certain attributes such as obesity, but that doesn't dictate whether or not that trait will be set in stone. we decide how to treat our bodies, what we put into them, how we use them.
that's my opinion.

There is research that suggests that genetics can be changed by environment and that they are not set in stone but are influenced by hormones (stress, endorphines etc). Of course then there is the expression of said genetics. Don't forget that a gene that makes you carry more fat can do squat if you live through a famine and don't have food. So long story short, you can't change what has already happened (those hips can only shrink so much until you have only bone, then you can't go any smaller), but you can work to change your future such as changing your muscle composition and body fat percentage.

Who cares? You can't do anything about your genetics, so while it's interesting, it's not something worth worrying about.

Humans have an INCREDIBLE ability to overcome. People lose limbs and participate in iron man triathlons. You can get past whatever minor genetic predispositions you may have. Choose your destiny.